Geneva | Reuters — World Trade Organization members were at odds on Friday over a proposal that would ban countries from restricting food aid deliveries, potentially complicating the response to a feared COVID-fuelled humanitarian catastrophe next year. The proposal was one of two related to the pandemic that failed to make headway at a three-day […] Read more

Ban on food aid restrictions blocked at WTO
WTO says outcome 'disappointing' in difficult year

Irritated trade partners push back on China’s coronavirus food tests
Canada rips testing as 'unjustified trade restrictions'
Beijing/Geneva | Reuters — Major food-producing countries are growing increasingly frustrated with China’s scrutiny of imported products and are calling on it to stop aggressive testing for the coronavirus, which some say is tantamount to a trade restriction. China says it has found the virus on the packaging of products from 20 countries including German […] Read more

WMO urges drastic action as global average temperature set to rise again
A 2015 treaty signed by 200 nations that set a goal of limiting warming to below pre-industrial levels is being changed
Geneva | Reuters – The global average temperature is set to rise to at least 1.2 to 1.3 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels over the next five years, a World Meteorological Organization (WMO) official said Sept. 22, close to a limit adopted in a global treaty. The prediction came as governments met in New York […] Read more
Energy firm hires Viterra traders for grain market debut
Top oil trader Vitol is building a global grains desk and has taken advantage of Glencore’s takeover of Canadian grains giant Viterra to hire a team of its traders, trading sources said Wednesday. Vitol, which has an annual turnover of nearly US$300 billion, will vie for market share along with rival trading firms Gunvor and […] Read more